The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 534 - 501: Let the Tutor Live Farther Away (Part 2)
The conversation between Xue Yinhuan and her niece abruptly stopped.
Consort Qing tidied her appearance, hurriedly stood up, and pulled her niece outside to greet the Imperial Concubine.
Princess Consort Qi hadn’t expected Xue Yinhuan to be back in the palace, her gaze was somewhat unfriendly, but due to Mr. Xue’s life, even if she was discontent, she couldn’t utter any sarcastic remarks now. Otherwise, not only would her control over the harem become unstable, but she would also implicate her son, branding him as "ungrateful."
"So it’s Yinhuan." Adjusting her mood, Princess Consort Qi regained her smile, "When did you arrive? How come you didn’t come over to sit with me."
Xue Yinhuan bowed and said, "I just arrived, and intended to visit Imperial Concubine after meeting my aunt, but I didn’t expect you to come here first."
Consort Qing said, "Imperial Concubine, please come inside quickly."
Princess Consort Qi stepped over the threshold and sat on the varnished Arhat Bed, casting a glance at Consort Qing, "I heard you haven’t been feeling well lately. Why haven’t you called an Imperial Physician?"
Consort Qing lowered her gaze and said, "It’s an old ailment, and I just need to rest more; no need to summon an Imperial Physician. Over the years, I’ve drunk plenty of bitter medicine, and the mere smell makes me nauseous."
"Really?" Princess Consort Qi stroked the Phoenix Head Gold Step Shake on her head, "Times have changed; Chief Xue’s merit in saving the Eldest Prince means Consort Qing is favored by the Emperor. Your health is precious. If something happens, don’t hide it from me, otherwise, if anything goes wrong, I won’t be able to explain it to the Emperor."
Consort Qing replied, "I thank Imperial Concubine for your concern."
Princess Consort Qi said indifferently, "The maids around you are lazy and unruly, how about I decide to replace them for you, so you won’t be annoyed looking at them."
The palace maids at the door, upon hearing this, all knelt down, their faces pale, "Imperial Concubine, spare us, we won’t dare again."
Consort Qing pleaded, "Please, Imperial Concubine, understand it’s not that they are lazy. Huanhuan entered the palace, and my niece and I wanted to have a private conversation, so I sent them away."
Princess Consort Qi glanced at her with a smirk, "So, did I wrongly accuse them?"
Consort Qing’s lips moved, but she said nothing.
Princess Consort Qi curled her lips, "Someone told me they saw you vomiting like mad, Consort Qing, do you think this is wrongly accused?"
Consort Qing’s heart chilled.
Upon being promoted from Consort Qing to Princess Consort Qing, the number of palace maids around her increased. But Consort Qing has always been cautious; she secretly sent the maid Zilan, who came with her from her family, to the Imperial Hospital to ask a trustworthy apprentice to check her pulse, without making it public.
All these things could be hidden from outsiders but not from the palace maids who serve her daily. Someone would inevitably notice her pregnancy symptoms.
Xue Yinhuan was so nervous that her palms sweat with fear.
Consort Qing braced herself and simply knelt down directly, "It’s not wrong, I am pregnant."
"Aunt!" Xue Yinhuan called urgently.
Consort Qing raised her hand to stop her from speaking further. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Princess Consort Qi’s smile stiffened on her face, after a moment it turned to sarcasm, "You are quite honest."
With the situation at this point, Consort Qing could only speak truthfully, "It’s not that I intentionally concealed it; it’s truly less than three months and not stable enough to announce. This is my first pregnancy after many years in the palace, I cannot afford to be careless. I hope Imperial Concubine can understand."
Gu Yu inwardly cursed, that bitch, the Emperor only flipped her card a few times, and she got pregnant, truly a vixen from the womb.
Princess Consort Qi was not someone with a good disposition, anything that could threaten her son’s rightful place in the Eastern Palace, she would be cautious and vigilant about. Though Consort Qing was previously stripped of the green card due to certain matters, Chief Xue’s death, and the Emperor’s desire to compensate the Xue Family would inevitably make him prone to valuing this child highly.
However, she saw no need to go against a Prince who was destined to have no chance with the Crown Prince, especially since Consort Qing might not even be pregnant with a Prince.
Princess Consort Qi’s red lips curled slightly, "You’re pregnant just at the right time, the Emperor has recently taken a liking to little babies. If he knows you are pregnant, he might visit Xianfu Palace often."
Preventing him from running to that bitch Princess Consort Duan’s place every three days, she suffers a heart attack every time she sees him there.
Consort Qing secretly clenched a fistful of cold sweat, "Imperial Concubine, you labor day and night in proxy of the harem; it’s natural for the Emperor to visit you."
"Why so tense?" Seeing Consort Qing drenched in sweat, Princess Consort Qi shook the Beauty Fan, "Are you afraid I’m jealous and might harm the child in your womb?"
"I dare not." Consort Qing begged for forgiveness.
Princess Consort Qi snorted lowly.
She was displeased to see Consort Qing pregnant, even more so to see her successfully give birth to a child.
Yet, should Consort Qing give birth to a Prince, it could become a good pawn to restrain Princess Consort Duan and Zhao Nuo.
The Emperor only feels regret towards the Xue Family, merely as compensation, regardless of how much he favors them. He would never appoint Consort Qing’s child as Crown Prince.
Princess Consort Duan is different; she occupies the Emperor’s heart. The Emperor continually hesitates regarding the appointment of Zhao Nuo as Crown Prince because of her.
If my own son were an ignorant fool, Princess Consort Qi would have nothing to say, but Xixi is so outstanding, even the ministers unanimously favor him, yet he just can’t seem to win the Emperor’s favor.
This matter is like a thorn, lodged in Princess Consort Qi’s throat, making it difficult for her to eat or sleep, always racking her brains for ways to change the Emperor’s view of Zhao Xi.
Now, Consort Qing is expecting.
At the Emperor’s age, with only two Princes, he couldn’t possibly not care about his heirs.
As long as he cares, he will visit Xianfu Palace often.
As long as he comes, she will have plenty of opportunities to slowly work on him, eventually making it clear that there is no one in the entire Zhao Imperial Family more suitable to be Crown Prince, the next Emperor, than Zhao Xi.
After a brief reverie, Princess Consort Qi raised her hand, "You may rise."
Xue Yinhuan hurriedly bent down to support Consort Qing.
Before Consort Qing could speak, Princess Consort Qi said, "Take good care of yourself and when the time comes, confess to the Emperor. You only have this one chance, you better deliver the child smoothly, else if any accident occurs, don’t expect to ever become a mother."
Consort Qing didn’t understand why Princess Consort Qi suddenly became so agreeable; in the past, if she found out a concubine was pregnant, it could make her furious, unless that concubine accidentally miscarried or gave birth to a Princess, only then would her mood improve.
This calm reaction today is truly unexpected.
After Princess Consort Qi left, Consort Qing let out a long sigh of relief.
Xue Yinhuan, while supporting her, could feel her aunt’s body trembling slightly.
She pressed her lips together, her eyes reddening, "Aunt."
She could leave and be done with it, but what about her aunt, who has treated her like her own daughter since childhood?
"It’s nothing." Consort Qing leaned against the Arhat Bed, gently stroking her belly, comforting her, "I will do my best to protect the child, there’s no need to worry."
Hearing her say this, Xue Yinhuan felt even more stifled.
After chatting with Consort Qing for a while, she returned the waist card and left for the Minister’s Mansion in the afternoon.
Two days later, Xue Yinhuan accompanied her brother Xue Yan to follow Yun Huainan south. On the trip was her personal maid and two youths who had decided to go to the Yun Family to study after returning from hunting that day.
——
Song Yuanbao mentioned that Song Wei wanted to hire a teacher to start Jinbao’s education, Zhao Xi took notice and specifically recommended a retired great scholar from the current dynasty to Song Wei.
Song Wei smiled and politely declined, saying it wasn’t suitable.
Zhao Xi was puzzled, "You haven’t even seen the person, how do you know he’s not suitable?"
Song Wei shook his head, helplessly smiling, "Your Highness hasn’t met my little son, he is lazy by nature, too lazy to even speak most of the time, quite different from others. The old gentleman’s lectures are mostly rather dry and boring, and if his laziness takes over, I suspect he’ll not even want to open his book during class."
This temperament is indeed a bit different from the talkative Song Yuanbao, Zhao Xi asked, "Does that mean Minister Song has already chosen someone?"
"I do have someone in mind, but whether it will work out remains uncertain."
...
Jinbao spent a month in the countryside and got tanned like a black egg, and it took nearly two months to regain his fairness after returning.
Wen Wan told him, "Jinbao, your father and I are going to hire a teacher for you to begin your education."
Jinbao said, "Oh."
Wen Wan: "Aren’t you curious about who the teacher is?"
Jinbao: "Too lazy to ask."
Wen Wan: "When the teacher comes to our house, you’ll have to get up on time, okay?"
Jinbao shook his little head.
Wen Wan asked him, "You don’t want to get up early?"
Jinbao said, "Let the teacher live farther away, if he comes late every day, I can sleep a bit longer."
Wen Wan: "???"
